Balance for Better Core Strength

YOUR DAILY FIT TIP

Balance exercises are not only beneficial for the excessively clumsy among us, but they can also help sculpt our core and overall stability.

What is this “core” that everyone keeps talking about? Basically, it’s everything on the front, side and back of your torso, not including your extremities (arms, legs and head).

Core strength comes especially from your four abdominal muscles and your erector spinae muscles, which are responsible for back extension (helping you to stand erect). But your core is also made up of a number of “stabilizer” muscles – smaller muscles that stabilize larger muscle movements. All of these muscles, big and small, become stronger through balance exercises.

Use a Bosu ball (a half-sphere fitness ball that sits flat on the ground with a rounded, unstable upper section) for standing exercises, or a wobble board, which, despite the name, offers more stability than Bosu balls. Or, if you’re not into “fancy” equipment, just try standing on one leg as you do dumbbell exercises or squats. Progress to one-legged balance exercises with your eyes closed. If you master that, try extending one leg out behind you with your arms stretched out in front of you, while your eyes are still closed.

One note of caution on balance exercises: Never perform behind-the-head exercises (for example, the overhead press) while balancing, or you might fall over backward and injure yourself.